Always There
by gtgrandom
Summary: "You're just like Rob. You build these walls and don't let anybody in." ...They were a lot alike, both distant, both chiseled by detached family...or Batman. He was her equal, in more ways than not, and he never failed to be there for her. ***A bunch of oneshots/chapters with the most beautiful couple/friendship ever! Traught FTW. Rated T for language and mature themes.***
1. The Lonely

**So this story is dedicated to my Traught feels! I know you guys are waiting for Birds of the Night update, but I have a case of writers block and now I'm busy with school, so I'm just writing when I can. But I have not abandoned you ^_^ Please let me know what you think!**

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Artemis finally escaped the group of girls that for some reason found her great company. It baffled her. They thought she was good looking enough to be in their clique, and she'd had to endure hours of gossip and gloating and discussion about, *gag*, _shopping_.

She ran to the only place she found bearable in the school from hell. It was a small cove-like area under the skylight, and it was peaceful. Quiet.

She sat inside the window frame, and brought her knees up to her chest, disregarding school policies and feminine crap. She took out a bag lunch, unable to consume the fancy school food, and opened a package of Oreos.

"Dessert before your meal?"

Her head popped up to see Dick Grayson standing there, smiling like an idiot.

"I'm a rebel," she shrugged, watching him skeptically. He acted like they were best friends, and they weren't. Sure, he helped her all the time with her homework, and she was grateful. But she really wasn't in the mood.

"Why are you hanging out with them?" he asked suddenly, and she raised her eyebrows.

"I...it's none of your business."

Dick grinned. "Well I think you deserve better."

_Like you and Miss Red Head better? _She licked off the cream and stuffed the hollow cookie in her mouth. "How would you know what I deserve? You don't even know me!"

He seemed to get a kick out of that, which made her just a little furious. He smiled. "I know you better than you might think."

She rolled her eyes. She couldn't deal with him right now. What did the others call him? Circus Freak? "Why don't you go back to the circus, Grayson."

His eyes widened with shock, and then he looked completely shattered, like she had just drowned his puppy. He stared at her with such a disappointed, hurt expression, that she felt her heart shudder. Then he turned around and walked away.

_Crap_. She jumped from the sill and grabbed his wrist. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I didn't realize..." she trailed off at the moistness in his eyes.

"I thought you were different," he stated bluntly, before shaking off her arm.

Her mouth fell open, and she felt terrible. Why did she repeat something like that? She didn't know it was such an insult, such a potent jab. She ran around him.

"Look, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm serious," she said as sincerely as she could. For some reason he was the only person whose opinion of her she cared about at this school, and she couldn't stand the idea of making him so sad. He was just being nice.

He seemed to understand that she didn't actually know what her comment implied and sighed. "My parents, my aunt, my uncle, and their son were all murdered when we were performing for the circus. I became an orphan, and Bruce Wayne adopted me."

Artemis was choking on her Oreo.

She didn't know that. God she was such a douche. Dick was suddenly concerned, and started patting her back while she coughed like an idiot.

"It's okay! I forgive you, just don't die."

She swallowed the crumbs and made her way to the water fountain. After gulping down a mouthful, she turned to face him. "Dick, I am so sorry. I had no idea." She really didn't. Her mom could only afford a few television channels, and she wasn't the kind of girl who gawked at the rich and famous, so she knew nothing about his history.

He shrugged, as if forgetting everything. "It's cool. Can I join you?"

She blinked. She had just made a cruel joke about his horrific past, and now he wanted to have lunch with her? If she were him, she'd never speak to her again.

She nodded almost too eagerly, and he laughed.

They sat down across from each other on the sill, watching the cliques in the courtyard below. She cleared her throat. "You know, I didn't have the best childhood either. I mean, it probably doesn't come close to yours, but..." she fell silent, realizing how selfish she probably sounded. While her family was chaotic and ruthless, she couldn't imagine Jade or her father dying. It would still hurt. Bad.

But Dick's eyes told her to go on, so she continued. "My mom, she...was gone for a really long time, and my sister left me alone with my dad. He wasn't...well, he never earned a Father of the Year Award. Then when my mom came back, he left too." She didn't know why she was telling him this. Perhaps because he listened, better than anyone she knew, maybe even Robin. "I feel like if I get close to anyone, they'll just leave me, like everyone else."

Dick was silent for a long time. "I know how you feel. Sometimes it's like there's no one who really gets it, even Bruce. I've lost so many people, I don't know if I can let anyone in the same way. Sometimes I just feel completely—"

"Alone."

They stared at each other quietly, smiling.

Maybe not so lonely anymore.

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**Woohoo! First chapter done. This isn't going to be a real linear story arc, (Lots of oneshots) but I'll try my best to go chronologically. I love Spitfire, don't get me wrong, but Dick and Artemis have this...quality. This special relationship between non-metas that I LOVE! P.S. the chapter names are based off of song titles. Please Review!**


	2. Time After Time

"What the hell, Wally!"

"God would you just lay OFF?!"

Artemis stepped back, his tone stinging a little. "Why are you acting like you're PMS-ing?" she said a little more calmly, although her hands were shaking from anger, or maybe even fear. The others had already left the room, white-faced and probably a little scared.

"Just stop!" he barked, making her flinch. "I don't have time for…this. Whatever this is!"

Artemis blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Yeah, so they had been fighting a lot recently, but had it really been that bad? Then again, she had been spending a great deal of time at school, tutoring with Dick to avoid confrontations with her boyfriend… yeah, it was probably that bad.

Wally laughed cruelly, spinning around. "Artemis, you never open up to me about anything, like you don't trust me or something! You're just like Rob! You build up these walls, and you won't let anybody in, even me!" He ran a hand through his auburn hair. "I thought I meant enough to you, but I guess I don't because you just push me away. I just…just can't deal with you. Or your unemotional crap."

"Wally…" she breathed, the tears pooling in her eyes.

He stepped into the zeta tube, and the yellow light began bubbling around him. "Forget it. Do me a favor and leave me alone." And then he was gone.

She stared at the place he had been standing moments before, feeling the world collapse around her. The way he had said those words without a hint of sadness, without any regret, made her heart ache. He was right, of course. She had an extremely hard time letting people in, and the closeness to her teammates was about as far as she got. Wally wanted more from her, but she just…she couldn't completely let her guard down. It came with her past, with her history. Wally _knew_ she couldn't help it.

Suddenly a soft hand landed on her shoulder, and she didn't need to guess who it was.

Robin.

He's the only one who would dare approach her right now, the only one that ever did. He had probably watched the whole thing from the hallway.

She finally tore her gaze from the teleporters to the ebony haired boy. He had grown a little taller since New Year's, and his jaw was becoming more defined. Puberty was going to serve him mighty well someday.

The Boy Wonder didn't say anything; he just looked at her…not with pity, or lousy concern…just with understanding. Something he always had with her, from the very beginning.

She tried to smile but failed terribly and then walked forward into his open embrace. She cried. She cried against his shoulder, his arms warm and comforting. His hair tickled her cheek, and she felt her fingers clench the material of his sweatshirt as a sob escaped her lips. Her body trembled against him, and he spoke softly in her ear, nothing of importance, but enough to calm her down. At some point they had moved to the couch, and she found herself wrapped in a cotton blanket, head resting heavily on her teammate's chest. A movie was playing, probably one of her favorites because it was _Rob_, but her eyes burned too much from crying to watch.

She turned her gaze towards him, guiltily noticing the large wet stain on his shirt. "Sorry about that…"

He chuckled quietly, tilting his head at her like he does. "Don't stress, 'Mis."

She swallowed, remembering exactly what Wally had said to her._ I just can't deal with you, or your unemotional crap. _ Unemotional my ass, she thought. This was the most she'd cried since…well since the last time this happened. Robin had been there for her then as well. He was always there.

_You're just like Rob. You build these walls and don't let anybody in. _

They _were_ a lot alike, both distant, both chiseled by detached family...or Batman. He was her equal, in more ways than not, and time after time he was there to cheer her up.

"Thanks, Robin." She gave a soft peck on her friend's cheek before snuggling closer, oblivious to the flush of color that came over him. Oblivious to how his heart seemed to quicken. Completely oblivious.

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**D'awww. Review pretty please? **


	3. Count On Me

**Hey sorry for taking so long, those darn AP classes! I'll post another chapter this weekend if I can.**

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Lightning illuminated the room. Artemis hugged her pillow as thunder rumbled nearby. She wasn't scared. Just…yeah okay, she was a little freaked out. It was impossible to sleep through; the storm was directly over her neighborhood, and the power continued to turn on and off, making the furnace moan intermittently with the electricity.

There was a rap on the window, a small knock. Artemis felt her breath hitch in her throat. _Please don't be Jade, please don't be Jade_. There was another knock, and she turned her head to see who it belonged to. Then she gasped and hopped out of bed, opening the window immediately. Rain poured into her room.

"Robin?! What the hell are you doing at my house? How did you even know where I lived?" she whispered harshly, hoping not to wake her mother. Man would she disapprove.

The Boy Wonder grunted and slid from the sill, a streak of blood staining the paint. She closed her mouth tightly and pulled him inside, shutting the window to avoid flooding the apartment. He immediately slumped to the floor, with his hair matted over his forehead and mask scrunched tight in pain.

Artemis knelt next to him in panic, "What happened?"

Robin shifted and cursed. "I got shot by a…ugh…gang in an alley." He removed his hands so she could see the tear in his uniform. "Just a graze…"

Her pajamas were already wet with rain and blood, and she tried not to hyperventilate. "Where's Batman?! I'll call him, he'll know what to do!"

"Nnoo, please…" he begged, snatching her arm tightly. He bit his lip, no doubt hiding just how much his side hurt. "He…grounded me…he doesn't know I was out patrolling…oww…don't call him."

She inhaled nervously. What had he gotten himself into? Better question: Why did he come _here_?! She wasn't the hospital!

Lightning cackled, followed closely by the sky's screams. The lamp flickered on again, spreading light through the once lonely bedroom.

But he was her friend. Probably her best friend…and he was counting on her. "Okay, fine."

She helped him get the top of his uniform off, and she swallowed at the nasty wound. The bullet hadn't gone in, but it definitely felt obligated to leave its mark on his torso. A bloody gash from his lower rib cage to his back glared at her. She also took in all the other scars over his many muscles and abs, one unmistakably resembling a faded carving of the letter "R".

"You're staring…" he got out amusingly, and she didn't even roll her eyes. Being a non-meta was hard, but she'd never seen so much experience _burned_ into someone that way. She could only imagine what Batman looked like if his protégée was this banged up.

Robin was getting uncomfortable at her ogling, so she went and fetched the first aid kit. After returning, she dabbed at his wound and cleansed it, despite his flinching and squirming. The bleeding had lessened when he whispered, "…Can you um, stitch it up for me? I can't bend over to see it without it hurting."

She froze. Yeah, okay she had taken care of her own wounds before, but never on another person. That was serious, a lot of responsibility. And really, did she look like a doctor? "I…"

His face was adorably annoying, and even without his eyes she could see the puppy dog countenance. He must have gotten into a pretty intense argument with Batman to trust her with a needle. "Okay, but if I hurt you I'll…" Um…_cry_?

"Usually your threats are the other way around, 'Mis."

She smirked, her hands shaking as she reached the thread.

He reached out and grabbed her quaking forearm, his fingers warm and gentle. "It's fine, Artie. I believe in you…or you know, something less cheesy," he said, grinning against the pain. She nodded, feeling confidence sprout inside her, and her hands became steady.

She worked meticulously, carefully piercing his tender skin and pulling the wiry string all the way through. Was she doing it right? Probably not. But Robin trusted her, so she kept going.

Finally, she finished closing the wound and sat back, exhausted. He had showed up around 2:30, and it was approaching 4:00 now. Unfortunately, it was a school day tomorrow. Of course, school was always unfortunate, but as Rob would put it, she'd be feeling some serious _dis_ on her _aster_.

When he had finally passed out, either from his big fight earlier or from all the drugs she gave him, she put a pillow under his head and changed out of her bloody clothes. She crawled into bed and closed her eyes, figuring he would leave as soon as he came to, (that hopefully being before her mom walked in), and tomorrow she'd probably think the whole thing was a dream.

She wouldn't remember when Robin had stirred, realized the time, and clambered to his feet. She wouldn't remember when he hobbled towards her sleeping figure and leaned over to swipe a loose hair out of her eyes. Or when he brushed his lips against her ear and whispered his thanks before hopping out the window.


	4. Into the Fire

The building next door was on fire.

Kid Flash cursed and sped towards the apartment complex, while the rest of the team stared at the disappearing figures down the alley. It was a diversion, but innocent lives were at stake. They had no choice.

Aqualad kicked the fire hydrant, using his water bearers to douse the flames. Only the fire wasn't waning, instead it seemed to grow, hissing in anger.

Robin gasped. "It's like Greek Fire! You can't put it out." _Klarion is responsible, no doubt. He sure holds up to his name, Lord of Chaos._

Their leader's eyes grew stern. "Team, split up, save the civilians! Those support beams won't last long."

Robin raced inside, the heat already overwhelming. He covered his face with his cape and hurried towards the emergency exit for the stairs. People were screaming on the other side, banging on the hinge-melted door.

"Everybody stand back! I'm going to blow this thing down!" he yelled, and the pounding stopped. He placed an explosive on the door, crouched behind the lobby desk and waited for the blast. There was a familiar "Bang!", and then people came filing through, thanking him as they scrambled outside.

He wove through the building, checking the empty apartments at each level. He was choking on the smoke, and it felt like his nostrils were dipped in kerosene. _West wing_ _clear_, he said through the psychic link.

_Good on the East_, KF noted.

The others remarked the same findings.

He was about to jump from the window when he heard glass shatter and a child scream. _Shit_, exclaimed Artemis. _I need help! Got an injured civilian up here._

Robin felt his organs constrict. _I'm on it, 'Mis_. _Hold on._

The building groaned and without a second thought he found himself running up the stairs again. "Artemis?! Where are you?"

Someone coughed from the thick hallway of orange and black. "Rob?"

He raced towards the raspy sound, his eyes and throat burning. Artemis was trying to pull a small boy from the wooden beam that had collapsed on his leg. Her face was sunburned and dark, and the kid was sobbing.

Robin felt the floor sway beneath him, and embers were flying in all directions. He grabbed the smoldering support beam in his hands and pushed while Artemis tugged, and after several agonizingly slow minutes, the boy was free from the trap.

Robin hauled him over his shoulder and grabbed Artemis' hand. He guided her through the maze of smoke, hoping that he was steering them in the right direction. Flames licked at their heels, plaster fell in large heaps from above, and he couldn't breathe. But he had to get them out. If it was the last thing he did.

They were almost to the window when the sky began to fall. The entire building came down on top of them, steel breaking and wood snapping. He locked eyes with Artemis. She looked terrified. This was it. It was all over.

He tackled her to the ground in the last instant, shielding her and the child the best he could. Then blackness.

* * *

"Rob!"

_KF_? Why did his mouth taste like blood?

"Wake up, dude."

Robins eyes were heavy, but he managed to peer up at his teammates. Ash was falling from the sky, and they were all covered in gray soot. His uniform was singed and his cape was torn, but for the most part he was perfectly fine. Wait a second.

His eyes shot open, and he leapt to his feet. "Artemis! Where is she?" But he was falling to the ground again, his legs like useless popsicle sticks. He cursed as his bones screamed in pain. Scratch what he said before. At least two broken ribs and a sprained ankle. Not "perfectly fine".

Superboy cocked an eyebrow.

Then KF helped him sit up. "Easy, Robin. She's alive. Just a little burnt and bruised, but she's going to be okay thanks to you. She took that kid you saved back to his family."

Robin's heavy breathing started to unwind. "She's okay?" he whispered. Not dead? Not another person he held close to his heart gone?

M'gann was staring at him. "Yes, Robin."

* * *

Robin was sitting on the couch, typing up the mission report. Okay, so technically it was Wally's paper…he was just tweaking it a little. Okay, a lot. M'gann was tending to his wounds, wrapping his ankle in gauze and ice, despite his many complaints.

"Robin? Can I ask you something?"

The Boy Wonder peered at her through his sunglasses. "Of course."

"…Does Wally know?"

He tensed and closed his computer slowly. "Know what?"

Superboy muted the discovery channel. "That you are head over heels for his girlfriend?"

Freaking clones and their straightforwardness.

Robin laughed. He was a great actor. He had to be. "Seriously guys? Come on, that's crazy."

But his performance wasn't convincing enough. "Your emotions when you woke up and saw that she wasn't there...Robin, they were so strong. They came off of you in literal waves."

The boy gulped. _No. No, no, no. This isn't happening._

"And your heartbeat was going fast," said Conner quietly. "Faster than Wally's."

"Look, I just care a lot about her, okay? She's one of my best friends. Like you, M'gann. If either of you died I would lose it. That's all." He felt like he was under a microscope, like they could see every pore and were willing his feelings to come pouring out.

M'gann resumed her pressure on his ankle. "Okay. But if you do feel...more than that...you should tell her. Before it really is too late."

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**So...I already have like the last six chapters written, I just need to get there! Be patient guys, I'm really busy, but I'm trying to update as fast as I can! :)**


	5. Counting Stars

Artemis rolled her eyes.

This movie was ridiculous. And yet M'gann was hiding her face in Conner's classical shirt, Zatanna had her eyes shut tightly, holding onto Kaldur like her life depended on it, and Wally was practically, pardon her French, _shitting_ himself.

Robin was the only other person who seemed unaffected by the graphic images and the horrifying music that blasted every time a predictable phantom popped up in front of the camera.

Wally glanced sideways at them, gripping the popcorn bowl tightly. "How are you two not freaked out by this?!"

Artemis shrugged and went back to examining her calloused fingers, Robin smirking next to her. The speedster groaned and turned his attention back to the screen, but as he did so, the bloody ghost appeared at the end of the hallway and the popcorn went flying.

Robin cackled and nudged her elbow.

Her gray eyes met his, or at least where she thought his eyes were behind the shades, and he gestured to the door. The corner of her lip twitched upward. She nodded thankfully.

They left the others quietly, but they were all too glued to the paranormal phenomenon that they barely registered the door click.

"That was beyond stupid," said Artemis, as soon as they were out in the fresh air. "How is that entertaining?"

Robin shrugged, smiling. Maybe they were just too accustomed to horrible things that movies like that were just...boring and unrealistic. His eyes flickered at the sky, and she knew he had an idea. "Come on," he said and grabbed her by the arm.

Being Artemis, she questioned his motives the entire way up the mountain side, murmuring something about bats under her breath. When they finally reached the top, the scene made her stop short, letting go of the Boy Wonder in awe.

It was a perfect view of the harbor, moonlight dousing the whole town in a gradient silver glow. Streets glimmered with streetlights and small figures were huddled outside store windows, conversing or smoking. This little place on the edge of the world was her home. Her real home. It was like she always imagined. A small community, a place to swim and shoot arrows…a place to live without her dad and sister pushing her towards the shadows, literally.

Robin realized she was in deep thought and sat down patiently on the patch of grass.

She finally tore her gaze from the ocean to her teammate, raising an eyebrow. "Um…"

He patted the earth next to him and she complied, joining him on the surprisingly comfortable ground. Then he laid back and put his arms under his head.

"What are you doing?"

He smirked and nodded towards the sky. She turned her head upwards and gasped.

There were billions of lights dancing in the sea above them. What did you call them?

Oh right. Stars.

How long had it been since she'd actually taken the time to look at them? Of course, she was always out on patrol at night, but her eyes were focused on the alleys of Gotham or Star City, on the mass of people who didn't care about each other's lives or problems. The last time she had gazed at the sky had been when her father took her out "hunting" and they slept in the back of the truck.

She reclined next to Robin and watched the circles of fire twinkle like small airplanes stuck in the clouds. The air was warm and cool at the same time, rustling the bushes and giving the trees the quality of whispering to each other. She took a deep breath. It felt good to be out in the open without having to worry about letting her guard down.

She turned towards Robin, who was watching the heavens silently. She waved her hand in front of his face. "How can you even see with those things on?"

He cracked a smile, snatching her hand. "I can see a lot more than you'd think, 'Mis." She pulled her arm back and rolled her eyes. He was such a cryptic weirdo sometimes.

Something shiny on his cheek caught her attention and her mouth fell open. "Holy hell! Are you crying?"

He instinctively reached up to wipe his face, shaking his head as he completely missed the trail of water. "Nah...just allergies."

She narrowed her eyes.

"It's stupid…"

She was practically squinting at him.

He sighed, focusing in on the galaxies far away. "It's just...now that we know there's life on other planets and worlds just like ours...sometimes I think there's another planet, with someone just like me. And I wonder if what happened to me in the past hadn't happened, where I'd be now. If that me on the other planet is happier...or if another event paralleled the same thing. And even if it did, I don't know if I'd want to switch places. I feel guilty about it, but at the same time..."

Artemis felt Goosebumps rise on her skin. Robin was talking about his personal life. He only did that once in a while, and it gave her literal chills. Who was that guy under the mask? Was he just a regular person? It made her uncomfortable to think about it. What was so important that he had to lie to all of them? That he had to hide his face and be so…secretive?

Then she watched the lone tear fall over his cheek and realized something. Maybe it was just as hard hiding his identity as it was for her never knowing it. That thought had never really occurred to her before. Robin couldn't talk to most of his friends about the two halves to his life. He couldn't tell them about anything that may be important for the guy behind the façade. Not a thing that could lead them to connecting the dots. Sure, she had a secret identity to uphold too, but she had the Team to confide in, she had Ollie and Dinah, and her mother. Did Robin have anybody other than Batman?

She reached out to touch his hand. He smiled and squeezed her fingers once.

They watched the stars for half an hour, making light conversation about nothing in particular.

Then there was a rustle in the darkness of the shrubbery, making both of their limbs go rigid. That was not the wind.

Artemis felt her heart begin to pump wildly. Who else could be here, on the top of the Mountain, in the middle of the night? Robin got up, clutching a concealed batarang between his fingers. Artemis almost chuckled at his preparedness, but there was another sound and her countenance grew stern.

Then the creature jumped towards them and they both screamed, only to fall silent with surprise. It was a jack rabbit. Just a rabbit.

Maybe the movie had left more of an impression on them then they'd thought.

"Freaking rabbit!" she yelled after it. She practically needed a medic to keep her heart from lunging out of her chest.

Robin let out a laugh, and she soon joined him, until both of them were doubled over from giggling so hard.

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**YAY! Sorry for taking so long. It's been crazy around here. I posted another chapter tonight too! **


	6. Somewhere Only We Know

"Dude, dude, dude, what do I do? I totally forgot!" Wally collapsed against Dick's bed at the Cave.

"Wally, I don't know what to tell you. Artemis doesn't care about anniversaries," said Dick, rolling his eyes. 'Mis was _so_ not like that; she could care less about diamonds and roses and chocolate…actually, she loved chocolate, he takes that back.

"Tt, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't get her something?"

Dick crossed his arms. Had someone promoted him to Cupid? Or freaking Oprah? "Well you better think fast, because she's going to be here any second. And even _you're_ not that fast."

"Can you get her something for me?"

Dick's mouth fell open. "You're kidding right?"

"She's not going to let me out of her sight, so I'll go make the lounge all romantic, and we'll stay in for like a movie night or something, and then you can show up and I'll surprise her with a gift!"

"Yeah…that's not happening," grumbled Dick.

"Please, please, please, I'll do whatever you want, I promise, just help me out this once." Wally was almost on the verge of tears.

_Damn you_, he thought. "Alright, fine."

Yeah, he was definitely Cupid…

Wally's eyes lit up. "Great, get her something good, you know what she likes!"

Dick frowned. "You don't get to be _picky_!"

Wally winked and sped down the hallway to "romanticize" the living room.

* * *

Dick almost turned around several times, but he couldn't will himself to actually do it. Why was he helping? He shouldn't get involved…again. It just made his heart die a little every time Artemis and Wally made out on the loveseat, or shared the last slice of pizza. He was torturing himself.

How had it come to this? Being attracted to your best friend's girl is wrong on so many levels. It pretty much broke every bros-over-hoes rule out there! He'd always been great at keeping his emotions fairly unreadable, but that skill was becoming harder and harder to master. He found himself leaving the room more often, and turning down their Friday night plans because of Batman's "orders". He just couldn't stand seeing her with him, which was definitely not okay. He just needed to get over her. Preferably now.

Dick parked the bike and hurried into the mall. He could always just get her something stupid; she probably wouldn't expect anything more from Wally, but he wanted to give her something she would treasure. Something personal.

He strode down the line of stores, trying to think of something. Then he saw a toy shop and his mouth curved upward.

* * *

_"That is such a lie," said Dick, gaping at Artemis._

_"Nope. I've never had a slinky, or a hula-hoop, or a yo-yo or anything."_

_Wally groaned, nearly asleep. "That's...messed...up..." he mumbled, his eyes fluttering close. It wasn't long before he was snoring, sprawled out on his sleeping bag._

_Artemis shrugged, nestling closer to the campfire. "My family isn't exactly..."_

_"Normal? Civil? Humane?" offered Dick wryly. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he almost missed her unbelievably bad excuses for showing up in Gotham. _

_She punched his arm. "Yeah, Birdboy. Childhood wasn't a super great time in my life."_

_Dick poked at the embers and watched orange sparks fly. _

* * *

Robin entered the Cave, the zeta tube announcing his arrival. He made his way to the lounge and froze. The lights were dimmed low, there were candles all over the place, and the TV was paused on some famous actor's face. Huh...

Then he heard the kissing sounds and thought, _forget it, this is not even worth it._ But the smooching stopped, thank God, and Wally's head popped up from the couch. "Oh hey, Rob!"

He leapt off the cushions and sprinted to Robin's side. "Did you get the ice cream?" he asked loudly.

The younger teen gave him a questioning look and then caught on. "No, sorry. I forgot."

He pulled the bag out discreetly, and Wally peeked through the tissue paper. His face fell. "Seriously? You could have splurged a little more than, oh I don't know, fifty cents!"

Robin rolled his eyes behind his glasses, watching Artemis get up. "She'll like it, trust me," he whispered.

Wally gave him an uncertain glance and then turned around. "Babe, I think I should give you your present now."

She made her way into the kitchen with them, leaning over the island and clearly surprised at the bag that lay there. "Wally, there better not be condoms in there. I keep telling you that it's never going to happen."

Robin snorted, and the speedster broke into an embarrassed smile. "Just open it, you twerp."

She reached into the bag and pulled out a slinky, a yo-yo, and a magic eight ball. Something flickered in her eyes, and then she grinned brightly. "You remembered... That night we went camping…that was like six months ago!"

Wally's eyes gratefully darted to Rob, who was slowly backing out of the room. "...Yeah..."

She blinked away misty eyes. "Thank you, Baywatch." And then she kissed him straight on the mouth, wrapping her arms around him. He lifted her up so that her toes barely brushed the ground, and she giggled against his lips.

Robin was out of there quickly, his gut wrought tight, and the lump in his throat unmoving. He needed some fresh air, so he hurried out the back of the Mountain, his legs carrying him all the way to the dock. He slumped into a sitting position, shoulders sagging at the weight of his world. That was awful. He'd just given her _his_ gift, from _his_ heart, and she'd thanked Wally for it...she'd kissed him for reciprocation.

Maybe he should take some time off to figure this whole thing out. It wasn't a serious attraction...it...it wasn't love...or maybe it was. Crud. Of course he loved Artemis, but did he _love_ her? No. That was crazy talk. That was very disturbing, heavy on the dis.

He thought it would be easy, considering both she and Wally were so happy together. And that's all he wanted for them, was to be happy. But only now did he wonder about himself. What about him? What about _his_ happiness?

* * *

Artemis didn't feel like going home tonight; they had a mission early tomorrow morning and she didn't want to miss the debriefing. Wally never slept at the Mountain though, so he said his goodbyes and headed for Central City.

She walked barefoot out to the beach, where Robin always went for late night ponderings...or whatever you call the stuff that runs through his brain. She hugged herself as the cold night air nipped at her skin, and hurried through the sand to the dock, where a figure sat in silence. She strode up and sat beside him, his eyes never moving from the sea.

They sat together quietly, yet comfortably. That never happened with Wally. When he wasn't talking, shit was going down.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, and Robin finally stirred, turning his shades toward her.

"For...?"

She sighed, scooting a little closer to him. "For the present, Birdbrain."

Robin opened his mouth and then closed it, brows furrowing at her answer.

He was so loyal to Wally, it wasn't even funny. "He wouldn't have thought of that. He would have gotten me earrings, or a card that makes noise. Not something so...sweet." She stared at him, curiosity eating at her mind. "Why would you do that for him? For me?"

He produced his usual smirk and shrugged. "You deserved something...thoughtful. And Wally asked me to..."

She narrowed her eyes. But why? Why would he go all the way to the mall, try to find something so perfect, and bring it back without even taking credit for it? She knew he was an amazing friend, and a caring person, but something seemed off about him lately. Had she done something wrong?

Her toes prodded the cool water hesitantly.

"Artemis..." he whispered, a hardness to his voice that made her raise her eyebrows. "I..." he looked down, as if he were at a war with himself. "…care about you, and I just wanted to give you something….because I care…" he let out a confused breath, like he was unsure of what he'd just said.

"Hey," she nudged his arm with her elbow. "I care about you too. You're like the brother I never had…_and_ the one I never wanted." She winked.

Something dark flashed over his face, but then he cracked a smile and nudged her back. They sat out on the dock for a while, watching the moon's reflection on the sea.


End file.
